Cannabis-infused spring pasta with zesty pesto and vibrant greens

Why This Recipe Works

• Fresh & Herbaceous: Pea shoots, dill, and parsley form a light green pesto full of garden-fresh flavor.

• Bright Citrus Notes: Meyer lemon juice and zest add a fragrant, floral tang that lifts the richness.

• Cannabis-Infused: With the help of ECRU Decarboxylator, your cannabutter or infused oil is potent, precise, and odor-controlled.

• Wine Pairing: A dry white like Passerina cuts through the pesto’s richness and complements the sweet lemon.

• Perfectly Dosed: Cannabis infusion in butter allows for easy calculation and division of servings.

Infusion Notes

What to Use:

• Cannabutter or Cannabis-Infused Olive Oil

  You can make either using your ECRU Decarboxylator — just decarb your herb (30 minutes for THC, 1 hour for CBD), then add butter or oil and infuse for 4 hours. No smell. One button.

Avoid:

• Alcohol tinctures like Everclear (flammable, unsafe to heat in pesto).

Dosing Tips

This recipe makes 4 to 6 servings. Use about 2 tablespoons of infused oil or butter total in the pesto and pasta.

Example:

If your cannabutter is 20 mg THC per tablespoon, and you use 2 tablespoons total, the entire dish contains 40 mg THC.

• Per Serving (6 servings): ~6.6 mg THC

• Per Serving (4 servings): 10 mg THC

Want to reduce the dosage? Mix 1 tbsp cannabutter + 1 tbsp regular butter or dilute with uninfused oil.

Ingredients

Toasted Cannabis Breadcrumbs

• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 garlic clove, grated

• 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

• 1/4 tsp Meyer lemon zest

Cannabis-Infused Pesto

• 4 cups pea shoots, plus more to garnish

• 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley

• 1/2 cup fresh dill fronds

• 2 oz ricotta salata, grated (1/2 cup)

• 1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds

• 1/4 cup Meyer lemon juice

• 1/4 tsp lemon zest

• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped

• 1 tbsp cannabis-infused olive oil

• 3 tbsp uninfused olive oil (to reach 1/4 cup total)

• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Pasta

• 16 oz mafaldine pasta

• 1 oz pecorino Romano, grated (1/4 cup)

• 1 tbsp cannabis-infused butter

• 1 tbsp regular butter

• 1 cup reserved pasta water

Instructions

1. Toast the Breadcrumbs

• In a skillet, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium-high.

• Add grated garlic and stir for 30 seconds.

• Toss in breadcrumbs and stir constantly for 6–8 minutes until golden.

• Off heat, stir in salt and lemon zest. Set aside.

2. Make the Pesto

• In a blender, combine pea shoots, parsley, dill, ricotta salata, sunflower seeds, lemon juice, lemon zest, and garlic.

• Pulse until coarsely chopped.

• With blender running, slowly stream in infused oil + plain oil. Process 2 minutes until smooth.

• Stir in salt and red pepper. Set aside.

3. Cook the Pasta

• Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.

• Cook mafaldine until al dente.

• Reserve 1 cup pasta water and drain.

4. Finish the Dish

• Return pasta to the pot.

• Add pesto, pecorino, cannabutter, regular butter, and 2/3 cup pasta water.

• Toss until coated and butter is melted.

• Add more water if needed.

5. Serve and Garnish

• Plate pasta in wide bowls.

• Sprinkle with toasted breadcrumbs.

• Garnish with fresh pea shoots and extra pecorino if desired.

Wine Pairing Tip from Raquel Stevens

Sommelier Raquel Stevens recommends Colle Trotta Q500 Passerina from Abruzzo to accompany this dish. The wine’s ripe peach and wildflower honey notes offer a lively contrast to the lemony pea shoots and savory sheep’s cheese. I absolutely agree—this pairing bridges the vibrant greens and rich pasta into a perfect springtime meal.